


You Are My Sunshine

by Snickerdoodle-Writes (JediJesska)



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Angst, Cute Kids, Fluff, Mild Language, guzma is a soft boy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-02-26 01:38:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13225473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediJesska/pseuds/Snickerdoodle-Writes
Summary: Guzma is working hard to better himself - and an opportunity presents itself in the form of a small child who idolizes him and follows him around like a little Ducklett. It's hard to maintain a tough and intimidating persona when you're suddenly some kid's new best friend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Shout-out to [AriTheMerGal](http://archiveofourown.org/users/AriTheMerGal/pseuds/AriTheMerGal) for inspiring the heck out of me and encouraging me to write this!

“Don’t go too far!” her mother called after her as Melody charged down the path from Iki Town. She was so excited to finally have a chance to explore the island she now called home. The thought of making new friends, seeing new Pokemon, maybe even catching one of her very own made her grin ear to ear as she ran.

“Full of energy, isn’t she?” Hala laughed as he watched her go. Melody’s mother laughed and shook her head.

“I don’t know where she gets it…”

* * *

Melody trudged up the path, shielding her eyes from the bright sun. That’s something she really loved about this new place; it was always so sunny and warm. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and adjust her backpack when an opening in the nearby rock wall caught her eye. It was big enough for someone to easily pass through so she followed it, gasping in surprise when she emerged out the other side.

She had stumbled upon a large meadow full of beautiful yellow flowers; a few Pokemon fluttered among the blooms and played with each other. It was beautiful. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a figure hunched over in the grass.

“Hello!” She called out, making the person flinch and the Pokemon around them scatter. “Oh, um, I’m sorry.”

The person looked over at her, brows furrowed and a scowl plastered on his face, grey eyes narrowing as she approached.

“What do you want?” he replied gruffly, sitting up a bit straighter now.

“Nuthin’, just saying hi,” she said as she plopped down in the grass next to him. “I’m Melody. What’s your name?”

“What’s it to you?”

“Well, I told you my name, now you gotta tell me yours, that’s the rules!” he huffed in annoyance.

“Yeah, well, I don’t follow the rules,” he grumbled, making her giggle. A nearby Pokemon caught her attention and she smiled as it came closer. Slipping her bag off and rummaging inside, she pulled out a small container of poffins her mother had given her earlier and held one out to the Pokemon. The little yellow creature fluttered up to her hand, gave the treat a sniff, and turned its nose up at it, fluttering back in the man’s direction and settling in his fluffy white hair. Melody smiled at the sight. He had been watching her out of the corner of his eye, the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Here. Try these.” He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a Poke bean, dropping it in her hand. She held it up to the Pokemon nestled in his hair and it approached her again, this time settling in her palm and nibbling at the treat. She gasped in delight as a few more joined the first one, all happily eating from her hands.

“They’re called Cutieflies,” he noted. “They’re Bug and Fairy type. Not too many people like bug Pokemon.”

“I love them!” Melody exclaimed, reaching out to gently pet one with her finger. He felt something stir inside him watching her interact with the little Pokemon. The flowers in front of them rustled and another Pokemon appeared; this one looked like a ring of flowers and smelled lovely. It settled on top of her head and chirped.

“That one’s a Comfey, and this one,” he pointed to the Pokemon peering out of the flowers, “is a Ribombee,” he added, looking visibly more relaxed. He pulled out another few beans and gave them to her, which she offered to the one atop her head. It took a few bites and made happy little noises before it began to weave its flowers into her long black hair. Melody grinned as the Pokemon all flocked to her, seemingly drawn in by her sweet and gentle nature.

“Guzma.”

“Huh?”

“My name’s Guzma,” he mumbled, getting to his feet and brushing the flowers and dirt from his pants, the Pokemon around him scattering.

“Are you leavin’?” Melody called after him, only earning a grunt in response. She jumped to her feet and followed behind him. “Can I come too?”

Another grunt as he shoved his hands in his pockets. She trailed behind him, asking him all kinds of questions but only getting one-word answers.

* * *

 

They eventually made it back to Iki Town, Guzma looking increasingly more annoyed and Melody happily chattering behind him.

“Ah! There you are,” Hala called out to him. “And I see you’ve made a friend!”

“Hi Mr. Hala!” she called out as she caught up with them.

“Are you ready to begin, Guzma?” Hala asked, and he simply nodded. Melody watched the two curiously as they readied themselves.

“Are you guys gonna battle?” she cried out excitedly, making Hala laugh as he nodded. “Can I watch? Please?” Guzma rolled his eyes as she sat in the dirt by the stage. Hala sent out his Hariyama first, and Guzma sent out Golisopod. Melody gasped in excitement.

The battle was intense, both Pokemon giving it their all, but ultimately Hala emerged victorious. As Guzma tended to his Golisopod, Melody rushed up to him excitedly.

“That was so cool!” she gushed, Guzma looking down at her with a furrowed brow.

“I didn’t win though…” he grumbled. Her excitement didn’t seem to falter, trough.

“But you battled so good! It was awesome! I wanna grow up and be a super strong trainer someday, just like you!”

Guzma stiffened, his cheeks turning slightly pink, a small smile spreading across his face as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. His Golisopod made a happy little noise and approached her. She tentatively reached out her hand towards its face, grinning when it closed the gap and pressed its head into her palm, allowing her to pet it.

“Your Pokemon is so cool!” Melody giggled as she scratched under the creature’s chin. Guzma couldn’t hide the proud smile on his face. She dug out the half-eaten Poke bean from earlier from her pocket and offered it to Golisopod, who eagerly ate right out of her hands.

“Melody! Time to go!” her mother’s voice called from down the road. She let out a sad little whine and turned to Guzma.

“That’s my mom, I gotta go, it was nice meeting you Guzma!” She waved to him and his Pokemon as she ran down the road back home.

Guzma sighed, a hint of a smile lingering on his face. Maybe this kid wasn’t so bad.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody is eager to start her training, but Hala has something else in mind for her today - and for Guzma.

As soon as breakfast was over, Melody grabbed her bag and rushed out the door, hoping to talk to her new “friend” again today. The sky was clear, without a cloud in sight, the light breeze from the ocean feeling good on her face as she walked. In the distance she could see people and Pokemon playing in the waves and enjoying the sun on the beach. Gripping the straps on her backpack tighter, she hurried along, eager to get to her destination.

After trudging up the steps and turning the corner into the center of town, she spotted Hala talking to Guzma.

“Hi Hala!” she called out as she approached, both of them turning to her; Hala smiled and waved her over while Guzma grumbled under his breath.

“Good to see you, Melody!” Hala said as his Bewear came up behind him, head cocked to the side and studying Melody. Guzma’s Golisopod came over as well, recognizing her immediately and making a purring noise as she scratched under its chin like she did the other day. It nuzzled into her shirt, smelling the Poke beans in her bag. She quickly removed it and dug around inside, pulling out the container of beans her mother had given her, and offered a few to the Pokemon. The Bewear shuffled over and she offered it a treat as well.

“Seems your Pokemon has made a friend!” Hala laughed and patted Guzma on the back, making him flinch.

Do I get to start training today, Mr. Hala?” Melody asked. He simply chuckled. While she didn’t have any Pokemon of her own, she was eager to learn everything she could about them.

“Not quite yet, dear,” he said with a smile, “but I do need your help today.” She perked up immediately, awaiting her task eagerly. Guzma cracked a smile watching her; she was so genuinely happy about everything, it was almost contagious.

“I need you to pick up something from the berry fields for me,” he said, handing her a slip of paper. She studied it for a moment before putting it away in her pocket. “Why don’t you take Guzma with you?”

“Are you kidding me?” Guzma glared at him.

“Don’t look so offended, boy!” Hala laughed. “Melody is new here, she doesn’t know the way. Go with her, keep her safe. Maybe show her around!” Melody smiled up at him and he sighed defeatedly.

“Fine. C’mon kid, let’s go.” He recalled his Golisopod and began walking down the path with Melody following close behind him.

The first few minutes they walked in relative silence, Melody trailing behind and examining everything that caught her eye. After a while she began asking him all kinds of questions about the island and himself. He tried his best to seem aloof and uninterested, but he was definitely warming up to her and her cheerful outlook on everything. He pointed out places to find Pokemon and different shops along the way, Melody hanging on his every word with wide eyes and an excited smile.

Once they had made it to the berry farm and picked up what Hala needed, they headed back the way they came; Melody had insisted on holding the box, but it was much too heavy for her. Guzma easily held it under his arm as they walked, Melody running ahead a bit to explore. He stopped when they came to the malasada shop, looking in the window at the freshly fried pastries. Melody noticed he wasn’t behind her anymore and turned to see him staring into the storefront.

“Watcha lookin’ at?” her voice snapping him out of his trance, he glanced down and chuckled.

“Sorry, just… kinda hungry I guess. Could go for a malasada right about now,” he mumbled.

“What’s a malasada?” Melody questioned. Guzma’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You’ve never had a malasada?” She shook her head no. A grin spread across his face as he guided her into the shop. “Today’s your lucky day, kid.”

* * *

They sat together on the curb overlooking the beach, Melody kicking her legs and munching happily on her own malasada, a cup of cocoa to her side, courtesy of Guzma. He had already inhaled the two he bought for himself, so he was content to sit and look out at the ocean while sipping on his own cocoa.

“Whaddya think?” He glanced in Melody’s direction, smiling as she nodded enthusiastically.

“‘S’good!” she managed around her mouthful. He chuckled and went back to his drink.

“Try the cocoa before it gets cold,” he said, gesturing towards her cup. She set her malasada down and took a sip from the cup, her eyes lighting up as she savored the taste. They sat together for a while longer, enjoying the sunset and watching people and their Pokemon play in the waves.

Out of the corner of her eye, Melody spotted something moving by a nearby rock. She hopped down onto the sand with her malasada, approaching slowly. Guzma watched her, seeing the movement himself and recognizing the Pokemon almost instantly - a Wimpod. What was it doing on Melemele Island? He watched to see what she would do.

“Hello?” she called out softly, squatting by the rocks and peering around the side. Something scuttled into the small hole between the rocks, letting out a small whimper. She peered inside and saw a small Pokemon hiding as far back as it could manage, looking terrified.

“Don’t be afraid,” she cooed, breaking off a small piece of her malasada and offering it to the creature. It seemed interested, approaching her hand warily, but quickly turned around and scrambled back to the safety of its hideout. She sat down in the sand, shoulders slumping in defeat. Guzma approached her and squatted by the rocks, peeking inside.

“I don’t think it likes me…” she said dejectedly, looking down at her hands.

“Nah, it’s a Wimpod, they’re scared of everything,” he said matter-of-factly. “Here, try this.” He backed up a little and laid down on his stomach, Melody copying him and holding the torn off bit of malasada in her hands. “Yeah, like that, now just stay still.”

Not too long after, the little Pokemon poked its head out of the crevice and inched closer to her open hands. Now that she could see its body properly, she frowned - one of its antenna was bent and a small piece of its tail was missing--someone, or something, had attacked the little Pokemon. Guzma seemed to notice as well; she turned to him and saw his expression sour. The Wimpod came even closer still, inspecting her hands before retreating again. It watched her carefully, as if expecting her to jump at it any second; but when it realized she meant no harm, it scuttled even closer and took a tiny nibble of the malasada.

“Hey little guy…” she whispered; the Wimpod jumped a bit at the sound of her voice, but continued to nibble at the treat. When it finished its little piece, it scuttled forwards more towards the rest of her malasada and began trying to tear a piece away. Melody moved slightly to rip a piece off, startling it again, but it quickly came right back to her. Guzma smiled as he watched the exchange, resting his chin on his arms.

“There ya go… See? He totally likes you,” he said quietly, Melody turning to him and smiling wide. Very slowly, she got up from her position in the sand, scooting back so she was kneeling before the Wimpod. It scuttled back a bit at her movements but returned even quicker this time in search of more of her malasada. When it found that there was none left, it let out a sad little whine.

“Sorry little guy… I'll bring more tomorrow, I promise, okay?” It seemed to understand, crawling back into its hiding spot between the rocks as she stood and dusted herself off. “We gotta get back to Mr. Hala before he thinks we got lost,” she giggled as Guzma stood and brushed himself off as well. He hopped back up onto the curb with ease, offering her a hand to help her up. He hoisted her up and grabbed the box again, letting her lead the way.

* * *

“We’re back!” Melody called out, running up the steps and towards Hala while Guzma trailed behind. Hala laughed and ruffled her hair; looking in Guzma’s direction he noticed that the boy seemed much more relaxed than usual - and was that a smile?

“Well done, you two!” Hala took the package from Guzma and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Mr. Hala, does this mean I can start training now?” she asked eagerly. He simply smiled.

“Well Melody, I don’t think I’ll be training you after all.” Her face fell immediately and Guzma looked from Hala to her, concern and a little bit of anger bubbling up inside him. “Don’t look so heartbroken, child! You’re still going to train, just not with me!” He smiled down at her, chuckling at the looks of confusion on both of their faces.

“But… who’s gonna train me then?”

“Guzma will.”

“What?!” Guzma’s eyes went wide and Melody turned to him with a huge smile, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Hala, I don’t… I can’t. I’m not good enough…” He ran a hand through his hair nervously. 

“Nonsense, boy. You’ve come a long way since you started training with me; this is another opportunity to challenge yourself. Besides,” Hala added, looking down at Melody, “she already likes you.” Guzma looked down to see her tugging on the hem of his jacket, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes. He cracked a smile and sighed.

“Alright alright, I’ll do it.” 

Melody squealed in delight and jumped up and down, throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him as best she could. He felt a bit of heat flood his face as Hala laughed heartily.

“Then it’s settled; you two can start first thing tomorrow!” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today's the day that Melody becomes an official Pokemon trainer! And Guzma runs into an old friend...

For the past week, the two of them had settled into a routine; they would meet up after school and grab a snack, then head down to the beach so Melody could feed her little Wimpod buddy before heading back to Iki Town for lessons. He would never admit it, but Guzma found that he was always looking forward to this part of his day the most. He leaned against the wall of a nearby shop, waiting a bit impatiently for Melody to get out of school so they could get going; he had something special planned for today.

Melody stared at the clock and fidgeted in her seat a bit, anxiously waiting for the bell to ring and release everyone for the day. She’s been thinking about seeing that little Wimpod on the beach all day, and about getting to hang out with Guzma again too. Looking out the window across the street, she could see him already waiting for her, and she grinned.

“Hey, isn’t that Guzma? What’s he doing here?” A few of her classmates seemed to have noticed him as well and spoke in hushed voices amongst themselves, as if he would be able to hear them if they spoke any louder.

“Isn’t he a bad guy? Should we tell teacher?”

“I bet he’s here to steal our Pokemon,” one of them said, making Melody’s blood boil. How dare they talk about her friend like that? They didn’t know him, he wasn’t a bad person or a thief! She  was about to say something to them when the bell rang and everyone rushed out the door. Grabbing her bag she followed suit, rushing to meet Guzma across the road.

“Hey kid, you ready?” he said as she approached. She nodded, and he started walking, keeping his hands in his pockets. Melody saw the kids from her class out of the corner of her eye, whispering and pointing at her and Guzma. She frowned and kept walking, picking up her pace a little to catch up with him.

The owners of the malasada shop knew them both by name by now, and Melody excitedly chattered on about her little Pokemon that loves malasadas. They gave her an extra, free of charge, just for her to feed to him. Guzma smiled genuinely and thanked them, and they were on their way. They stopped once more to get cocoa, and Melody all but ran down to the beach to see her little friend.

“I’m back!” she called out when she reached their usual spot, the little bug Pokemon scuttling around in circles and chirping happily at the sound of her voice. She sat down in the sand and set her things down beside her, holding out one of her malasadas for him. “Look, they gave me one just for you this time!” She broke off a few pieces and set them down in the sand, the Pokemon chittering happily as it ate. Guzma plopped down in the sand next to her, the Wimpod coming to greet him as well.

“Alright, I have a challenge for you today,” he said, setting his cocoa down and fishing something out of his pocket, placing it in her outstretched hand. She examined it carefully; it was a Poke Ball, but not one she had ever seen before. Its lid was blue and it had a net-like pattern running across the top. “It’s a Net Ball. It’s a type of Poke Ball that works better when you’re catching bug or water type Pokemon,” Guzma stated. Melody looked from the ball in her hands up to Guzma. “So, why don’t you try catchin’ this little guy with it?” The little Wimpod looked up from its meal and eyed the Poke Ball in her hands nervously, backing up a little. She scooted towards him slowly but he continued to back up, getting more and more nervous.

“Please, don’t be scared,” Melody said softly, staying as low to the ground as she could. She set the Poke Ball down in front of her and sighed. “I won’t force you to do anything, I promise.” The Wimpod looked from the ball back to her, looking confused. “I just thought maybe… you’d like to come be my Pokemon? I know you’re scared, but I would never hurt you. I’ll give you lots of treats and you can sleep in my bed with me and I’ll love you forever!” She gave the Wimpod a patient smile.

This was definitely not what Guzma was expecting, but it was definitely something he’d expect from Melody; she was almost too sweet for her own good. He watched with interest as the Wimpod eyed up the ball again, getting a little closer this time, and looking up at her and watching for any sudden movements. It nudged the ball back towards her, chirping happily, as if saying he wanted her to catch him. She picked up the ball and pressed the button, white light engulfing the Wimpod and drawing it into the ball.

It shook once…

Twice…

Three times…

And finally clicked.

She held the ball in her hands, shaking a bit from excitement, and turned to Guzma, who was grinning at her. “I did it!” She exclaimed, jumping up and hugging him from his sitting position. He froze for a second, not used to anyone showing him any form of affection, before reciprocating by ruffling her hair a bit. She immediately let Wimpod back out, giggling as it ran in circles around her feet.

* * *

Guzma sat with his back against the wall, watching Melody and her new Pokemon play in the sand for what felt like hours. When the two were finally exhausted, they crawled back over to him and sat, Wimpod curling up in Melody’s lap as she gently stroked his back. She had trouble keeping her eyes open, leaning against Guzma a bit without realizing. He stiffened a little at the contact, but decided to let her rest. Melody spied a couple on vacation together, walking down by the water and holding hands. Her mind wandered for a bit before she spoke up.

“Hey Guzma?”

“Hm?”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

His breath hitched and he bristled, sitting up a little straighter. “I uh...no, not anymore.” Melody looked up at him curiously.

“How come?” She asked. A heavy sigh escaped him. Was he really going to pour his heart out to some kid?

“I uh, don’t think she likes me anymore.” His voice was unnaturally quiet. Melody saw how sad he looked and she felt a little bad for asking.

“What was she like?”

Guzma sighed. He didn’t want to think about her; it hurt his heart to remember how happy she made him and how he would never have that again.

“Her name was Judi,” He started, feeling a lump in his throat. “She was beautiful… prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. Strong, too. And she was so smart. She knew everything about Pokemon.” He sighed. “But I… I put her through hell, hurt her real bad. I don’t think she ever wants to talk to me again,” He hung his head in shame, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. But it felt good to get this off his chest. Melody looked up at him, sensing his heartache, and looked back down to her Wimpod in her lap. It chittered mournfully and scuttled into Guzma’s lap, making clicking noises up at him. He slowly petted the little Pokemon, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as it purred. Melody hugged his other arm in an attempt to make him feel better, unsure if it would help or not. Guzma simply sighed again and resigned himself to their affection, watching the sun set over the ocean.

“It’s gettin’ late… ready to head home?” He turned to Melody, who nodded sleepily and stood, brushing the sand off her shorts. Wimpod hopped off Guzma’s lap and ran little circles around her feet before she picked him up and carried him as the two walked. They went slower this time; weary from the physical and emotional exhaustion. Melody was struggling to keep her eyes open, trudging along behind Guzma and smiling down at her little Pokemon in her arms. He suddenly stopped in front of her and she ran right into his backside. Peeking around him she saw the source of the distraction; an intimidating-looking woman stood in front of him, sporting long pink and yellow pigtails and a sour expression. Guzma looked both confused and happy to see her, though.

“Plumeria? I--” She raised her hand to silence him.

“Don’t talk, just listen.” She looked down at Melody who was hiding behind him, cuddling her Wimpod and clutching the end of his jacket.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at here, but you need to stop.” Her tone was harsh and her voice was lowered. “What you did to Judi is messed up and you know it. You need to man up and go talk to her before she gets over you and you lose her for good.” She pushed past him and kept walking, leaving him stunned for a moment before Melody spoke up.

“Do you know her?”

“Yeah she’s… an old friend. C’mon, let’s go.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and started walking again.

* * *

 Melody ran up the steps of her house ahead of Guzma, her Wimpod scuttling up behind her and chirping excitedly. Guzma stood at the edge of the steps, hesitating as if he wasn’t sure if he’d be welcome here. The door swung open and Melody’s mother came out, a big smile on her face. Her skin was a bit darker than her daughter’s, and her eyes were a deep blue, her long black hair done up in a bun.

“There you are! How was your training today?” She asked as she scooped up Melody and kissed her nose. Melody giggled and pointed down.

“Look! I caught a Pokemon today!” Her Wimpod ran in circles on the porch excitedly as her mother set her down and knelt to get a better look at him.

“What a cute little friend you’ve made!” She petter the top of his head, earning a few happy little clicking noises. “And who’s this?” Her attention turned to Guzma, who had been standing off to the side. He stiffened a bit and was about to introduce himself before Melody interrupted.

“This is Guzma! He helped me catch him! He’s been teaching me how to be a trainer!” Melody grabbed him by the hand and led him up the steps.

“Ah, it’s nice to finally meet you! My Melody has told me all about you,” she said with a wink, giving him a tight hug. Guzma’s face went a bit red and he shot Melody a look, who only giggled in response.

“Its, uh, nice to meet you, ma’am,” Guzma managed, earning a smile from the older woman.

“Please, call me Anya. Come in, come in! Dinner’s almost ready, you two must be hungry! Why don’t you stay for dinner, dear?” She said cheerfully as she guided him into the house.

Melody ran around with her Wimpod, showing it around the house, while her mother pulled Guzma aside into the kitchen.

“You know, she talks about you all the time. You’ve been such a positive role model for her,” She said, her hand on his shoulder. His face flushed bright red and a goofy smile crept across his features.

“Really?” She nodded, smiling sweetly back at him.

“Thank you for doing this for her, it means a lot to me,” Anya added, turning her attention to the stove. “You know, dear, with my new job in town, I’ll be away on business a few days a month and I’m in the market for a babysitter. We have a guest bedroom, you could stay there overnight, and of course I’ll pay you. I know it’s a lot to ask, but… Would you be interested?” He looked over to see Melody and her Wimpod playing in the living room, her laughter making him smile genuinely again.

“Yeah, I think I can do that.”

“Oh, wonderful! Thank you honey!” She embraced him again, nearly squeezing the life out of him. “Melody, sweetheart, Guzma is going to watch you when I go away for work!” Melody came running from the other room with a gigantic grin on her face.

“Really?!” He nodded, flashing her a smile of his own; her happiness was practically contagious. She squealed and hugged him around his middle as best she could as he ruffled her hair affectionately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Judi belongs to [AriTheMerGal]().  
> Who is Judi? Find out by reading [Under Her Skin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13025088/chapters/29791170), which this fic will sync up with in the next chapter! Stay tuned!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guzma's mistakes come back to haunt him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To read this chapter from a different character's point of view, see chapter 8 of AriTheMerGal's fic [Under Her Skin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13025088/chapters/29791170).

“Alright, the emergency numbers are on the counter, the fridge has plenty of food if you want to cook, Guzma, but there’s also frozen dinners in the freezer as well. I left some money on the table if you need to do any shopping while I’m gone. Oh, and Melody, behave! I don’t want to hear you’ve been giving him trouble!” Anya rushed about the house, making sure everything was in order before she left, giving Guzma instructions and showing him around at the same time. She would be gone for a week, the longest she’s been away in a while, and it was clearly stressing her a bit.

“We’ll be fine,” Guzma assured her as she grabbed her coat and suitcase and brought them to the door. She smiled tiredly at him.

“I know you will, I just worry,” She said, scooping Melody up and peppering her face with kisses, making her giggle. She set her down and gave Wimpod a gentle pat as well, before grabbing her things and heading out the door.

“Bye sweetie! I love you! Be good!” She called out as she left.

“I will! I promise!” Melody replied, waving goodbye. Guzma closed the door and leaned against it with a sigh as Melody scooped up Wimpod and smiled up at him.

“Okay, so… what do you wanna do first?”

* * *

“Can I come in? I brought cocoa.” He offered her the cup in his hands, but Melody simply turned her nose up at him.

“What’s the password?” 

“Malasada,” he said with a smirk. She gasped, not expecting him to guess her password so easily.

“Fine, you may enter,” she said in her most regal-sounding voice. He handed her the cup and crawled under the blankets into her little pillow fort they had set up together using the couch cushions and a few chairs. He was almost too tall so he was forced to hunch over inside, his hair brushing the blanket ceiling. Wimpod chittered happily, sporting a little paper crown Melody had made for him. She was currently wearing Guzma’s jacket, which was comically oversized on her. She pulled out a second paper crown and placed atop his head.

“There, you can be the princess,” she stated, his brows furrowing.

“Why do I gotta be the princess?”

“Because Wimpod is already the prince, and I’m the Queen!” She pointed to her own crown. Guzma grumbled and sighed, a faint smile on his face.

“Alright, alright. Fine,” he muttered as he sipped his cocoa. “So what’s your first order of business, your Highness?”

Melody thought for a moment, her face lighting up when she got an idea.

“We should go to the beach!” She exclaimed, Wimpod chirping happily in agreement. Guzma shrugged.

“Alright, finish your cocoa first.” She cheered and downed it as fast as possible before scrambling out of the fort, Wimpod and Guzma following suit. He took his jacket back, much to her dismay, but she perked up when he promised she could have it back later. Melody recalled Wimpod into his ball so that he wouldn’t have to walk all the way there and they headed out. 

Melody grabbed Guzma’s hand as they walked, making his heart swell. He wasn’t about to say it out loud, but spending time with her was doing wonders for him. Being her mentor made him feel more confident in himself - and stroked his ego just a little. He smiled more genuinely and more often, and even his slouch was disappearing.

For the first time in a while, he felt content.

He let Golisopod out to play with her Wimpod when they got there, watching as the smaller Pokemon ran circles around it happily and played in the waves together. Melody got to work building a sandcastle, employing the help of Guzma and Wimpod, who brought little shells back to her from the ocean to decorate her creation with.

Guzma sat under one of the many umbrellas along the shore and was content to just let them play; he sighed deeply and smiled as he watched them.

After a few hours of playing in the sun, all three of them came back up the beach to sit with him, exhausted from the heat. Melody leaned against him and wiped the sand on her hands off on her shorts.

“Can we get ice cream?” She asked tiredly. He shook his head with a smile.

“There’s popsicles at home,” he replied.

“Okay! Let’s go then!” She hopped to her feet and dusted herself off, recalling Wimpod again and heading up the stairs to the sidewalk as Guzma gathered their things and recalled his Pokemon. She walked on ahead, turning the corner she stopped dead in her tracks.

Standing there was quite possibly the biggest bug Pokemon she had ever seen. Melody raced up to the Pokemon and its trainer, a blue-haired woman, who turned around and smiled.

“Wow! Your Pokemon is so cool! Can I pet it?” Melody asked the woman, who nodded and laughed softly as she stroked her Pokemon’s face, who in turn bowed its head to get to Melody’s level. She gasped excitedly and reached out to touch it, rubbing its snout and earning a purr from the creature. She dug around in her bag for her container of Poke Beans and grabbed one, offering it to the Pokemon, who happily ate right out of her hands while she continued to pet it.

“Have you ever seen a Scolipede before?” The woman asked, now squatting next to Melody.

“No, but I love it!” She exclaimed excitedly as the Pokemon sniffed at her shirt and backpack, looking for more treats. She was about to grab another one when she heard Guzma calling for her.

“Mel! Where are you? We gotta go!” She turned and saw him come around the corner, smiling when she saw him. She was about to show him her new friend when he froze and stiffened, looking from her to the woman beside her, who seemed to have bristled as well. He ran a hand through his hair nervously.

“Judi?” He said quietly, a hint of fear in his voice.

“Guzma?” Melody saw tears well up in the woman’s eyes and looked back to Guzma, who had taken a step forward. She hurried over to him and grabbed his hand as she hid behind him, sensing tension and feeling uncomfortable. The woman blinked back tears, a few escaping and rolling down her cheeks as she stared him down. 

“I can explain!” Guzma blurted out, taking another step towards her, but she took a step back and shook her head furiously.

“You don’t have to explain anything,” she choked out, “your note made it loud and clear.” She turned and started to leave.

“Judi wait! Come back!” Guzma cried out, letting go of Melody as he started towards her, only to be stopped by a hand on his arm.

“Oh no you don’t. I warned you. You had your chance.”

The woman from before with the pigtails stopped him from going any further, glaring angrily at him. He straightened up and glared right back.

“What the hell, Plumeria? Let go!” He ripped his arm from her grip, but she stood in front of him, effectively blocking his path. He tried to push past her but she shoved him back.

“You leave her alone, you’ve done enough damage already,” Plumeria snapped as Guzma huffed, fists clenched.

Melody backed up a bit, intimidated by this side of Guzma she hadn’t seen before. She could only watch as they began to shout and argue, getting progressively louder and angrier, seemingly having forgot she was there at all. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Scolipede turn and leave, seemingly wanting to get as far from this conflict as it could. She quietly followed behind it, looking over her shoulder and seeing the two still fighting. She took a deep breath and continued up the trail after the Pokemon.

It led her up a path she had been before, seeing it duck into that familiar opening in the rock face that lead to the meadow. She approached curiously and quietly, not wanting to startle the Pokemon. Among the flowers, she saw the blue-haired trainer from before, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest and her head in her arms. The Scolipede approached her and nuzzled against her in a comforting manner.

“Hi,” Melody called out to her quietly, making her flinch. “Um, I’m Melody. Are you Judi?” The woman seemed to panic and scrambled to her feet.

“Y-yes, I’m sorry but I have to leave,” Judi said quickly as she hurried past her. Melody reached out and grabbed her hand as she walked by, making her stop and turn to her. She could see that the woman had been crying.

“Please don’t go… I’m scared… Guzma and that lady are yelling at each other…” Tears of her own began to well in her eyes. She was scared and alone and she wouldn’t know what to do if this woman left her here too.

Judi’s expression softened as she knelt next to Melody, a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I’ll stay with you, no need to be scared,” She said softly, sitting among the flowers once more as Melody relaxed a little bit. She sat with her, picking a few of the flowers around them. Her scolipede settled in the flowers behind Judi, effectively curling around her protectively. After a few minutes of silence, Melody finally spoke up.

“Are you… Guzma’s friend?” She asked cautiously, afraid of upsetting her but also curious.

“I guess… at one point, I was,” Judi answered, her voice cracking a bit as she wiped a few fresh tears from her face. A few of the resident Cutieflies began to take notice in them, one hovering by Melody as she began to weave the flowers together.

“How come you’re not anymore?” Judi’s breath hitched and Melody immediately regretted asking. She turned her head away as more hot tears ran down her face.

“I’m s-sorry… I can’t… I dont w-want to talk about it,” Judi managed, struggling to keep herself together. She shifted in the grass and tried to collect herself as Melody continued picking flowers. A few of the Cutieflies took notice in Judi and fluttered in her direction, but she shooed them away.

“He told me about you once,” Melody said quietly as she worked. Judi seemed to perk up just a little.

“Guzma… talked about me?” Melody nodded, a small smile forming on her face as one of the braver Cutieflies landed in Judi’s hands.

“Yeah, he said Judi was the smartest, prettiest, strongest girl he ever knew, but he had to leave because he did bad things and he wanted her to be happy with someone who isn’t bad,” She said, adding a few more flowers to the crown she was making, holding it up to inspect her handiwork.

“But I don’t think he’s bad, he’s really nice to me,” she continued, getting up to place the finished crown on Judi’s head and adjusting it so that it sat evenly, smiling when she finished. Her eyes lit up when she suddenly remembered something that might help her new friend feel better. She fished Wimpod’s Pokeball out of her bag and released him. He nervously looked from Judi, to Scolipede, then back to Melody, who gave him an encouraging smile.

“He helped me catch my first ever Pokemon,” she said proudly as Wimpod inspected Judi and tried to crawl up into her lap, earning a soft smile from her. “Every day after school we would go down to the beach and I would feed him and play with him. He was really shy at first, but Guzma showed him how to get him to like me,” she added as Judi gently stroked Wimpod’s back, listening to her story. “His antenna is bent and part of his tail is missing, and Guzma says somebody probably hurt him and that’s why he was so shy. But I still love him!” She gushed, petting Wimpod as well, who seemed to thoroughly enjoy the attention that was being showered on him. He looked up at Scolipede, who was eyeing him up curiously, and scuttled back over to Melody, who scooped him up and walked over to the larger Pokemon. Scolipede bent down and sniffed at Wimpod, then nuzzled into him, earning happy clicks and chittering from the smaller Pokemon. She set him down and he scurried over to Scolipede’s side, scuttling up and onto its back as it rested next to Judi again. Mel sat and watched them, a grin on her face, as she began picking more flowers.

“Wanna see something funny?” Judi asked, and Mel nodded ad she watched her fish her own Pokeballs out of her bag. She took one and released a large Pokemon; she recognized it as a Blastoise, gasping in delight. Jud silently instructed it to do something, and the Blastoise began to blow bubbles. Melody giggled and ran around the field, chasing and popping them, while Judi laughed and watched. She held the remaining Pokeballs up with a smile.

“Wanna meet the rest of the gang?” She asked.

“Can I?” Melody said quietly, staring at the different balls with wonder. Judi smiled and released them all to play.

"Blastoise has been my starter since I started my adventure,” she said, gesturing to the Pokemon still blowing bubbles. “She's been with me since the beginning, the old girl is tough as nails but a huge softie.” Melody smiled up at Blastoise. "You've already seen my Scolipede, watch your food cause she’ll steal it from right under your nose," Judi added, tapping Melody’s nose for emphasis, earning a giggle from her. She scratched under the large Pokemon’s chin, earning a series of purrs and grumbles.

"This is my Luxray,” Judi said as she stroked the fur on the large one beside her, the Pokemon nudging into her as it begged for attention. “I caught him in Sinnoh when he was just an itty bitty Shinx. He’s a cuddler, so watch out." Luxray came right up to Melody and gave her a sniff, then laid down next to her as she stroked his fur with a huge grin on her face. One of her smaller Pokemon was running around in the flowers, chasing some of the Cutieflies.

"That's Zorua,” she smiled, gesturing to the little troublemaker. “I rescued her... she was abandoned by her trainer for weeks... took a while to get her to trust me..." She smiled sadly as the Pokemon continued to play.  One of the Pokemon flapped around them happily, making soft squeaking noises as it inspected the crown of flowers atop Judi’s head.

"Thats Swoobat, I caught her in Kalos... If you feed her she will never leave you alone,” She whispered to Melody with a smirk, who smiled in return and reached out a hand to pet it as it came closer to her.

Her last Pokemon stood behind Judi shyly, watching Melody intently. "And this is Riolu, he’s the youngest. I hatched him a year ago,” She added, turning her attention to the little Pokemon. “ Come here honey, she doesn't bite," she cooed as she lifted the Pokemon into her lap. Melody offered him a flower, smiling sweetly. He hesitated for a moment, looking from the flower to Judi,  who gave him a reassuring smile. He reached out slowly and took it, examining it and sniffing it. He hopped off Judi’s lap and approached Melody cautiously, watching her weave a few of the flowers into another crown. She finished it and very carefully placed it on Riolu’s head. He smiled happily and approached her, taking the flower she had given him and tucking it into her hair. Melody smiled and patted the grass next to her; Riolu sat with her as she showed him how to weave them together. Judi watched them, a content smile across her features, as Wimpod hopped off of Scolipede and started to clamber up Judi’s back, his little feet tickling her as he climbed. She laughed as he finally managed to sit atop her head, sniffing and nibbling at the flowers as she tried half-heartedly to shoo him away.

Out of the corner of her eye, Melody spotted a familiar face - Guzma and Golisopod were at the entrance to the meadow, watching silently. Melody got to her feet and ran to him, throwing her arms around him in a hug. 

“Hey,” he said softly, ruffling her hair with a sad smile. He looked up to see Wimpod making his way over as well, running circles around Golisopod’s feet and chittering happily. Judi turned around to see where the two of them had gone and froze when she saw Guzma. She quickly scrambled to her feet but lost her footing and fell back on her butt, wincing in pain. Before he could stop himself, Guzma rushed to her side and helped her up. She looked up at him with shock and sadness, new tears forming in her eyes.

“Judi…” He started, swallowing the lump in his throat. “I am so, so sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you,” he choked out as she sobbed. “I just… I thought you’d be better off without me. I’m no good for you…” he trailed off, unable to look her in the eye, his hands squeezing hers lightly.

Melody scooped up Wimpod and looked on, looking up at Golisopod with a worried look. The large Pokemon grumbled with uncertainty and used its massive claws to gently pull her close, wrapping its forearms protectively around her in a loose hug.

“I thought I was just some plaything… Just some toy for you to play with when you were bored!” Judi cried out as Guzma looked away from her again. Melody’s heart ached when she saw the shine of fresh tears on his cheek. His grip on her hands loosened as if he was giving up.

Judi cupped his face in her hand, wiping the tears from his cheeks, and pulled his face down to meet hers in a desperate kiss. Melody gasped in delight at the sight, hugging Wimpod tighter to her chest. 

Judi glanced her way and suddenly pulled away from Guzma, hugging herself and looking uncomfortable. They talked quietly for a minute or two before Guzma turned and headed back towards Melody, wiping his face on his arm.

“C’mon, let’s get ya home,” he said quietly, offering her his hand. She took it and they headed out silently, their Pokemon following behind them.

“I’m gonna drop you off at Hala’s for a little, alright?” He said, Melody nodding. After a beat of silence, she spoke up.

“Are you guys friends again?” Her voice was quiet, as if she was afraid to ask. Guzma sighed.

“I don’t know.”

She looked down at her feet as they walked, squeezing his hand a little tighter. It upset her to see him like this and she wanted to help, but she didn’t know what to do.

The walk to Hala’s was quick, and once Guzma had explained the situation to him, he was more than happy to have her for a while. As Guzma was leaving, Melody tugged on the back of his coat.

“Are you gonna go see her again?” He knelt down to be at her eye level, ruffling her hair and tucking the flower in her braid back into place.

“Yeah. I am. I’ll be back soon, okay?” She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. He hesitated briefly before hugging her back.

“I don’t want you to be sad,” she murmured as she buried her face in his shoulder. He felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes but he fought them back. He broke the hug and stood, patting the top of her head one last time before heading out the door and running back down the path. 

When he was out of sight, she sighed and hopped onto the couch, playing with the hem of her shirt.

“Hala?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Guzma said he did bad things before… what did he do that was bad?” She looked up at him with concern and sadness in her eyes. Hala sighed and put a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s not my place to say; I think you should ask him yourself, sweetheart. But just remember that a person’s past doesn’t define who they are, alright?” And with that, he left the room. Melody sighed, Wimpod climbing up on the couch with her and making concerned-sounding little noises. She stroked his back slowly.

“I want him to be happy…” she mumbled to her little Pokemon as she laid down sideways on the couch, Wimpod scuttling up and under her arm as she adjusted. She hugged him close to her and felt her eyelids grow heavy; she didn’t realize how exhausted she was after today. She slowly allowed herself to fall asleep, Wimpod curling up under her arm and following suit.

* * *

Melody woke with a groan, the early morning light streaming through the window and directly into her face. She rolled over and pulled the covers tighter around herself. She was just about to drift off again when her eyes snapped open, realizing this is not where she fell asleep. Sitting up, she looked around and relaxed when she realized she was back in her room, Wimpod fast asleep at the foot of her bed. She smiled and petted him as she got out of bed; she was still in yesterday’s clothes so she quickly changed and quietly left her room, not wanting to wake Guzma if he was still asleep.

The house was eerily quiet, the only sound coming from the ticking of the clock on the wall in the kitchen and the find sounds of the ocean from outside. She peeked into the guest room and found the bed empty, making her worry a little. Melody was about to call out for him when she saw Guzma’s form in the living room, hunched over on the couch, head in his hands. His jacket was gone, only wearing his white undershirt, and his hand was bandaged. Worry began to bubble up inside her as she approached him as quietly as she could.

“Guzma..?” She murmured; he lifted his head to look at her. He looked exhausted in every sense of the word; his hair was a mess, the dark circles around his eyes looked infinitely worse, as if he hadn't slept at all last night. His expression softened when he saw her and he attempted to sit up straighter.

“Hey Mel,” he croaked, his voice more gravelly and rough than usual, like he had strained it somehow. She looked heartbroken at his current state and it only made him feel worse.

“You look tired,” she said, climbing up on the couch with him and leaning against him.

“Yeah, I am. Didn’t sleep,” he mumbled, rubbing his face with his hands. She took his bandaged hand in hers and inspected it carefully, frowning. She watched him for a moment before hopping down off the couch and heading to the guest room.

“Stay there,” she called behind her; he watched her curiously and heard shuffling before she reemerged with the blanket off the bed and a pillow, dragging them both behind her. She thrusted them both into his arms and tried to push him sideways back on the couch.

“You should take a nap,” she said matter-of-factly, making him smile tiredly. A nap did sound nice right about now. He set the pillow down on the end of the couch and scooped her up, Melody yelping in surprise as he did so. He grabbed the blanket and laid back with her on his chest, covering them both up and getting comfortable. Melody adjusted herself on top of him, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat and his breathing, finding herself getting drowsy again. Her weight on his chest soothed and comforted him, dulling the ache in his heart, and he was soon fast asleep, Melody following suit not long after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Judi belongs to [AriTheMerGal](http://archiveofourown.org/users/AriTheMerGal/pseuds/AriTheMerGal).
> 
> This was incredibly fun to write and I hope you enjoyed it as well! Please make sure to read the corresponding chapter of Ari's fic for a different perspective! There will be more chapters from both of us done in this style and feedback is greatly appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guzma and Judi are talking again, and Melody has been begging him to take her to visit the nursery where Judi works.

“You're doing it again!”

“What?”

“Smiling at your phone! I wanna see!” Melody attempted to climb into his lap to peek at his phone but he simply held it further away.

“It's nothing interesting, go away,” he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“But I wanna see!” She grabbed his arm and tried in vain to tug it back towards her. Guzma simply shifted the phone to his other hand and held it even further out of her reach, making her pout. He sighed; she knew that making that face was a sure fire way to get him to crack.

“I'm texting Judi, okay?” He relented, Melody immediately perking up. When he had told her a few days ago that he and Judi were talking again, she was ecstatic, constantly badgering him questions about her and asking when she could see her and her Pokemon again. And ever since he let it slip that she works at the nursery, she had been begging non-stop if they could visit her, and today was no different.

“You know what we should do?” She began, giving him her most innocent smile while batting her eyelashes; he rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming.

“What should we do?”

“We should go visit Judi!” Melody exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air for emphasis. He thought for a moment before turning to look at her.

“Okay, fine. Let’s go.”

“Wait, really?” She gasped, eyes wide, searching his face for any sign that he was joking.

“Yes, really, grab Wimpod, let's go right now,” Guzma said as he stood, looking at his phone and debating whether or not to let Judi know they were coming. He decided against it, smiling as he shoved his phone in his pocket; it would be a nice surprise. Melody had sprinted to her room, grabbing Wimpod’s ball and her backpack before rushing back out to the living room and all but dragging Guzma out the door.

She had never ridden the ferry before, staring in awe at the massive boat as Guzma got their tickets at the counter. He guided her onto the boat, letting her grab his arm for stability; the gentle rocking of the ferry made her feel strange. But soon they were off to Akala Island, the sea breeze feeling nice on her skin. She held onto the railing and watched the island disappear from view over the horizon, feeling smaller than usual.

When the ferry finally docked, Guzma grabbed her hand as Melody excitedly tried to rush towards the exit. He led her down the busy streets, his grip not faltering for a second; the last thing he needed was for her to wander off. Melody was simply looking in every direction in awe, trying to take in everything around her. Her free hand gripped her backpack strap as they continued up a dirt road towards the nursery. There were a few Tauros grazing nearby, and she wondered what if would be like to pet the fuzzy mane around their necks. A few Miltank mooed in her direction and she waved happily to them. The nursery had come in to view and Melody tried to get Guzma to walk faster, noticing his hand was getting a little sweaty.

They walked into the main nursery building, the girl at the counter with pink hair smiling at Melody and then staring in shock as Guzma walked in, who smiled sheepishly. She bolted into the back and shouted something to a few people. Melody looked up at him, confused, but quickly turned her attention to the sound of multiple people running. Several teenagers burst through the door, cheering and yelling at the sight of Guzma. They all rushed towards him and hugged him, knocking him off balance and sending him to the floor. They continued to dogpile him and laugh while Melody backed away, confused and nervous.

“What’s going on out here?” Her attention was drawn to the doorway again when she heard a familiar voice, grinning in excitement when Judi emerged, little Riolu holding her hand. The Pokemon perked up when he saw Melody and ran to her, giving her a big hug that Melody eagerly reciprocated. When he finally let go, Melody rushed up to Judi for a hug as well, smiling from ear to ear.

“Hey! What are you doing here?” Judi smiled and scooped her up for a hug. Melody pointed to the pile of kids on the floor and Judi raised an eyebrow.

“Alright, enough, get off!” Guzma clawed his way out from under the pile of kids and brushed himself off. Looking up at Judi his cheeks immediately turned pink as he smiled. Judi set Melody down and ran to him, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming to visit!” Judi beamed up at him.

“Wanted to surprise you,” he said, hugging her tight once more and burying his face in her neck. The crowd of teens all watched with smiles on their faces as the two of them hugged.

Plumeria entered the room to see what all the fuss was about and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Guzma, who gave her a nervous smile in return.

Melody hid behind him as she approached; her only interactions with this woman having been unpleasant. The woman hugged him, clearly glad to see him, but before pulling away she whispered in his ear.

“Break her heart again and I will end you.”

Melody clung to his hand tightly and shuffled further behind him, scared that they might start yelling again.

“Well, you came all this way, would you like a tour?” Judi suggested. Melody perked up a bit at this idea as Guzma whispered something to Judi. She looked down at her and smiled.

“How about Plumeria and the grunts show you around?” She said, the grunts all agreeing excitedly. Plumeria looked over to Melody and she hid further behind Guzma, not wanting to make eye contact.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Judi asked, kneeling down next to her. Plumeria sighed.

“I don’t think she’s very fond of me,” she said with a hint of guilt in her voice.  Melody peeked out from her hiding spot and eyed her up cautiously as she squatted next to Judi to address her better.

“Hey kid,” she began, Melody hiding her face again in the fabric of Guzma’s pant leg, “I’m sorry about… yelling and everything. I didn’t mean to scare you. But it’s okay now, everything’s okay with us, you don’t have to worry about that. Do you think we could start over? Maybe we can be friends?” Melody looked up at her; the woman’s smile was genuine and her tone was soft, but she just couldn’t shake the lingering fear.

Judi’s Riolu took a step forward, eyeing her with concern. He came right up to her and held her hand, smiling reassuringly. He then led her over to Judi and Plumeria, making a happy little noise up at his trainer. Guzma’s heart melted at the display and Judi smiled brightly.

“He really likes you, Melody! What if Riolu goes with us? Would you feel better?” Melody nodded as Judi stood back up, headed to the back room. Melody grabbed Guzma’s hand with her free one and followed everyone else.

* * *

 

“Most of this place is open area,” Judi explained, gesturing to the large paddocks, “since it’s really hard to let all the Pokemon out at the same time, they all have scheduled times when they get to play. Each one of us has up to two or three Pokemon to take care of!” Melody turned her attention to one of the grunts out in the field, brushing a Tauros’ mane. Melody practically had stars in her eyes, hanging on their every word, listening excitedly when the grunts would tell her all about the Pokemon they each took care of.

“Yeha, thanks to Judi, things are going a lot smoother around here.” Plumeria said with a smile, making Judi blush.

“Aw come on,” she replied, playfully punching her on the arm. Suddenly struck with an idea, Judi turned towards Melody, offering her hand. “Melody, you’ll love this, come on!” Melody took her hand and Judi hurried them off to another building, Guzma smiling at her enthusiasm.

“This is the hatchery,” Judi said, opening the door wide and guiding Melody inside. She gasped audibly; the were rows and rows of eggs, each neatly wrapped in a blanket in its own cubby. “This is where we keep the eggs we find with the Pokemon,” she scooped Melody up so that she could see into the cubbies better. “We call the trainers to tell them about the eggs, and if they don’t want them, we put them up for adoption.” She walked with Melody in her arms around the room, letting her look at all of the eggs.

“Sometimes, we get calls from all around Alola about abandoned eggs, so we go get them and bring them back here, see if we can’t find them a nice home.”

“That one is so small!” Melody pointed to an egg that was about half the size of the ones next to it, nearly engulfed by the blanket it was wrapped in.

“Hmm, this one doesn’t have a trainer…” Plumeria added, coming up behind them and giving Judi a look.

“Yeah, most people don’t like little eggs,” Judi said softly, smirking at Plumeria as she set the girl down. Melody stood on her toes, trying to peek into the cubby again.

“Well I like this little egg!” Melody exclaimed, looking offended that someone would ever say such a thing.

“Oh yeah? Well maybe… you’d like to take care of this one for us?” Plumeria asked her, smiling as she watched Melody’s face light up excitedly.

“Really?! You mean it?” Looking from Plumeria to Judi in disbelief; they were really going to give her an egg of her own?

“Think of it as a peace offering from me,” Plumeria said, gently scooping the egg and its blanket out of the cubby and handing it to her. She took it gingerly, cradling it against her chest.

“I’ll take good care of it, i promise!” she exclaimed, gently hugging the egg and rubbing her cheek against its smooth surface.

The door opened and Guzma entered, having finally caught up with them; Melody rushed up to him, holding the egg out for him to see.

“Look! Plumeria and Judi said I could take care of my own egg!” He squatted next to her, smiling wide as he looked it over.

“Hey, that’s pretty cool,” he said, looking up at Judi, who smiled back at him. Melody handed him the egg and rushed to Plumeria, giving her a big hug.

“Thank you!” She said happily, shocking Plumeria and Judi. Plumeria smiled gently and hugged her back.

“I’ll have to stop by to make sure it’s doing alright,” Judi added, winking at Guzma who grinned, thrilled that she had an excuse to come visit him now. Melody carefully took the egg back from Guzma, hugging it close to her, as he stood back up.

“Man, I’m starving…” Guzma mused, scratching his stomach absentmindedly. Judi rolled her eyes.

“When are you _not_ hungry?” she teased, earning a pout from him.

“I’m hungry too,” Melody added, giving Judi a pout of her own. Judi sighed and smiled softly.

“Well, we can make sandwiches back at the house. Are you up for the walk?” she asked Melody, who nodded eagerly. Plumeria headed out the door first, Melody right behind her, and Guzma and Judi following after her.

Plumeria led the way back to the house and Melody followed close behind, buzzing with excitement. She was going to take such good care of this egg, she promised herself. Looking behind her at Judi and Guzma, she beamed when she saw them holding hands and smiling at each other. She then got an idea.

“Can you hold my egg for a minute?” She asked Plumeria, who nodded and took it from her hands. Melody rushed back towards Guzma and Judi and grabbed their hands, pulling them apart and holding one in each of hers, grinning up at each of them. Guzma rolled his eyes and chuckled while Judi laughed.

“Swing me! Swing me!” She cried, picking her legs up off the ground and throwing the two of them off balance.

Once they recovered, Judi looked to Guzma, who nodded with a smile.

“Ready? One, two, three!” They counted together and swung Melody up into the air, her giggling contagious and making the two of them laugh as well. They swung her a few times more, a few of the grunts nearby looking on and smiling at them.

A rustling in a nearby bush caught Judi’s attention as a Wooper waddled out onto the path, smiling up at them. Melody let go of their hands and gasped.

“What’s that?!” She exclaimed, running up to the little Pokemon and squatting down to look at it. It looked so happy, she couldn’t resist smiling back at it.

“Hey there!” She grinned at the little Pokemon, it tilting its head at her and smiling back. She reached out a hand to pet it--

“Melody wait!” Judi called out, but it was too late. The Wooper let loose a spray of water directly into her face, with enough force to knock her over. She sat in the mud, eyes wide, staring at the Pokemon as it just continued to smile at her. Guzma burst into laughter behind her and she turned to him, seeing him double over and wheeze at her misfortune. Her cheeks darkened with embarrassment and she folded her arms across her chest, feeling a few angry tears prick at the corners of her eyes. The Wooper hopped over in Guzma’s direction and promptly sprayed him with water as well, soaking him as well. It was Judi’s turn to laugh now.

“Wooper is one of the Pokemon I look after,” she managed between giggles as the Pokemon wandered back over to her. “Sorry Melody, he sprays people to keep them from touching him,” she added, trying to calm herself as Melody scowled, trying not to cry from embarrassment.

“Woopers shouldn’t be touched; their skin is coated in a thin layer of toxic slime that’s really painful if you get it on you,” Judi said, looking from the Wooper back to Melody, who was still giving her the stink-eye. “But he’s a really nice Pokemon!” she added, trying to save face for the little guy. Melody turned away, wiping her eyes and continuing to sulk. The Wooper began to hop away, as if sensing it was in trouble, before one of the grunts cut him off and racelled him back into his Pokeball.

“Found ya!” He exclaimed, holding the ball in his hands, looking up and meeting Judi’s gaze and smiling sheepishly.

“Ian, make sure he gets back safe, okay?” Judi asked. The grunt, Ian, nodded and waved before running back down the path. Melody stifled an angry sob as she stood from the muddy puddle she sat in. Judi’s Riolu came running up to her, helping her stand, and wiping at her face with the rag it had brought. Judi knelt next to her and she stared at the ground, sniffling a little.

“Still hungry?” Jusi asked sweetly; Melody nodded slightly. Guzma knelt beside her as well, hair dripping wet from the surprise attack.

“Want me to carry ya?” She nodded again and held her arms up, Guzma hefting her up and placing her on his back as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, burying her face in his back. He hooked her legs under his arms and began walking, his warmth and the gentle swaying of his steps calming her. Judi looked at her, chewing on her bottom lip, her eyes searching Melody’s face.

“What do you want when we get back?” She asked softly. Melody thought for a moment before responding.

“Tapu Cocoa..?” She asked shyly, making Judi smile.

“Of course; sandwiches okay?” Melody nodded.

“Peanut butter? But no crusts, crusts are gross,” she added. Guzma turned his head to look back at her.

“Hey, crusts are pretty good,” he replied, making Melody stick her tongue out at him.

“Crusts are gross, just like you!” Melody teased, making him snort, his soft laughter bouncing her on his back a bit.

When they finally arrived back at the house, Melody slid off Guzma’s back and followed Plumeria upstairs for a change of clothes. She went through her closet and pulled out an old t-shirt, offering it to her; it was big enough to wear as a dress, so she did, piling her wet clothes together and bringing them downstairs. Riolu met her at the landing and gave her a towel with a smile, trading it for her wet clothes and bringing them to the laundry room for her. Plumeria followed him with a change for Guzma in her hands. Melody let down her braid and dried her hair as best she could, knowing it would get poofy later if she didn’t brush it. Rummaging through her backpack, she let Wimpod out of his ball, petting him on the head as he chirped happily up at her.

Plumeria had set her egg down on the couch, wrapped up in its blanket. Melody brought Wimpod over to it, the Pokemon sniffing at it and looking back to her.

“It’s an egg,” she said with a smile, “you’ll have a little brother or sister Pokemon to play with soon!” Wimpod chirped excitedly, settling itself on the couch next to the egg. Riolu came over to inspect the egg as well, placing his paw on it and smiling at Melody. She climbed up on the couch and Wimpod crawled up into her lap, Riolu sitting beside her. Judi came out with a plate of sandwiches for all of them, along with a mug of cocoa with marshmallows.

“Thank you Judi!” Melody smiled and took the mug in her hands, Judi setting the plate down next to her on the couch. She handed Riolu his own sandwich and tore a piece off of hers for Wimpod, who nibbled on it happily. Judi and Guzma came back out with their own food, sitting on the couch with her as well. Once she finished her own sandwich, she hopped off the couch and stood in front of Judi.

“Judi? Can you braid my hair?” she asked timidly; she wasn’t very good at doing it on her own just yet. Judi smiled and sat up, patting the space between her legs.

“Sure, come here,” she said with a smile as Melody crawled up to sit in her lap. Judi began running her fingers through Melody’s hair, untangling any knots she came across, and Melody began to relax. She fought to keep her eyes open as Judi worked, slumping forward a little bit as the idea of a nap became more and more inviting. She was just about to fall asleep before Judi announced she was done, snapping her back to reality and leaning back into her, yawning. Judi yawned as well, leaning a bit to the side and resting her head on Guzma’s arm.

“Gonna take a nap?” Guzma teased the two of them, Melody shifting so she was laying across both of them, her head in Guzma’s lap. He rested his hand on her head, thumb gently rubbing her forehead, as her eyelids grew heavy once again. One more she yawned before she slipped into a peaceful sleep.

Loud voices woke her not much later; groaning and sitting up, she scooted backwards into Guzma’s lap, rubbing her eyes as his hand rested on her back.

“Nice going, ya woke her up,” Guzma growled at the grunt standing in front of them. Melody turned to look at the grunt, recognizing him as the one with the Wooper earlier. He squatted in front of her with a grin.

“‘Sup, Lil Boss!” He said, earning a tired wave from Melody.

“‘Lil Boss’?” Guzma repeated questioningly, raising a brow at Ian.

“Yeah, Lil Boss, like her old man, Big Boss Guzma!” Judi snorted as Guzma stiffened and turned bright red.

“I-wh-I ain’t her dad!” He stammered, Judi doubling over with laughter. Melody giggled too, looking up at him as he scowled. Judi got up from the couch, grabbing the dishes and bringing them to the kitchen, Ian following right behind her. They were talking about something but Melody wasn't paying attention; she was still groggy. She hugged around Guzma’s middle and yawned. Looking up at him and seeing the scowl across his features, she smiled and playfully reached her hands up to his face. Using her fingers, she pushed the corners of his mouth into a smile, catching him off guard and hearing Judi snort from the kitchen. He looked down at her with a raised brow, Melody simply smiling sleepily back at him.

“Don’t be mad, that’s not nice,” she murmured before burying her face into his middle again, trying not to fall asleep. He sat up a bit straighter suddenly, and she could hear his heartbeat quicken. He was grumbling angrily under his breath as well; Melody turned her head to see Ian playing keepaway with Judi’s Pokeball.

“Fucker…” Guzma mumbled; Melody gasped and shot up, staring at him with wide eyes.

“That’s a bad word!” she whispered, Guzma looking down and realizing his mistake far too late.

“Judi!” she cried out, turning to face her, “Guzma said a bad word!” His cheeks flushed pink and he looked away as Judi approached, hands on her hips.

“Guzma, really?” she chided him, Guzma muttering an apology. She scooped Melody up and brought her into the kitchen with her.

“He won’t give me the Pokeball, you ask for it,” she whispered to Melody as she approached Ian once more. Melody put on her best puppy-dog eyes and pouted at Ian.

“Can I please have the Pokeball?” she said sweetly, Ian visibly deflating the longer he looked at her. He sighed and handed over the ball.

“Fine… Here, lil Boss,” he conceded, dropping the ball into her outstretched hands. Judi headed out the door with Melody, smiling back at Ian and Guzma as she left.

Once they were out by the paddock, Judi set Melody down and took the Pokeball from her, hopping the fence and releasing the Pokemon inside. A very majestic looking Pokemon materialized in front of Judi, bird-like in appearance with an incredibly fluffy body and wings. Judi reached a hand out to the Pokemon, letting it come to her, allowing her to pet it. She fed it a few Pokebeans from her pocket, earning a happy coo from the pokemon.

“Melody do you want to play?” Judi called out over her shoulder. “It’s an Altaria! A big sweetie!”

Melody attempted to climb the fence, not making much progress before a pair of hands grabbed her and lifted her up and over. She looked back as Guzma set her down, hopping the fence himself. Melody joined Judi in the grass, sitting and reaching up towards the Pokemon. It was the cuddliest-looking thing she had ever seen and she desperately wanted to pet it. The Altaria cooed and lowered its head to meet her hands, letting her stroke its head and beak.

“This gal must have a really good trainer,” Judi said as she stroked the downy fluff that covered Altaria’s body, “that or she just really likes people!” She smiled over at Guzma, who sat in the grass beside Melody and watched the two of them fawn over the Pokemon.

As the Pokemon basked in their attention, it began to hum gently; Judi smiled and began to sing the notes back at the Pokemon. The Pokemon cooed happily and hummed a few notes again, that Judi would repeat back. Guzma sat up straighter, entranced by her beautiful voice, his cheeks dusted a slight shade of pink. Melody watched the two starry-eyed, smiling at the music they were making together.

“It’s been years since I’ve got to sing with an Altaria…” Judi thought out loud, smiling back at the two of them. She looked up at the sky, noticing how low the sun had gotten, and sighed, offering a hand out to him. Guzma seemed to notice as well, getting to his feet with her help, Melody standing as well.

“Uh… I should probably get Mel home before it gets dark…” Guzma scratched the back of his neck, Judi nodding sadly. She recalled the Pokemon and looked up at him with a frown.

‘But I don’t wanna leave,” Melody protested, stifling a yawn. It had been a very fun day, but she was exhausted.

“We’ll visit again, come on,” Guzma said, offering his hand to her which she gladly took. Judi smiled down at her.

“Why don’t you go back to the house and get your clothes while I bring Altaria back, they should be clean and dry by now. And your egg, too!” Melody perked up again, remembering her new responsibility. Guzma smiled at Judi before turning and leading Melody back down the path. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Melody spoke up.

“Is Judi your girlfriend now?” she asked, looking up at Guzma. He looked shocked for a second before looking away.

“Uh, no... I don’t think so…”

“Well why not?” She questioned, Guzma’s cheeks turning pink again.

“We’re not exactly dating right now,” He answered, looking down at her with a bit of a disappointed look on his face. Melody frowned, then perked back up.

“You should ask her on a date!” She said excitedly, making Guzma snort.

“I don’t know…” he started, rubbing the back of his neck. Melody tugged on his hand.

“You should! She really likes you, and you like her too!” She grinned up at him and he sighed, smiling back.

“Ya think so?” Melody nodded vigorously as they entered the house, running for her Pokemon as Guzma made his way to the laundry room. Plumeria had laid their clothes out on top of the washing machine for them; grabbing his clothes and giving Melody hers, he left the room to change. When he returned, Melody was holding the egg in her lap on the couch, Riolu and Wimpod sitting next to her again. He leaned on the back of the couch, smiling gently down at her, when he heard Judi return.

“Oh! I still have your jacket still,” she remembered, rushing up the stairs to retrieve it.

“That’s where it went?” Melody looked up at him and he chuckled. Judi returned quickly, holding the jacket out to him with a proud smile.

“I fixed a few snags in it,” she said as he took it from her, putting it on and inspecting it. All the small holes and tears from continuous wear had been repaired.

“Thanks,” he muttered with a smile, making Judi blush and look away.

“I’ll walk you out?” she offered, Melody hopping off the couch with the egg in her arms, fussing with the blanket as it slipped out of place. “Oh, Melody, here!” She shrugged her egg carrier from her back and set it on the floor, making adjustments to the egg pouch as Melody looked on curiously. She fitted the straps to Melody’s shoulders and adjusted them. “Fit okay?” she asked, Melody nodding as she made sure everything was snug, finally taking the egg from her hands and placing it carefully in the pouch.

“There! Now you can carry your egg around hands-free!” She beamed down at her, seeing how excited the girl was.

Riolu came out into the kitchen and hugged Melody goodbye before running back to Judi, taking her hand in his paw. Melody took Guzma’s hand as they walked to the door. Guzma hesitated for a moment, squeezing Melody’s hand a bit, before turning to Judi.

“Judi, I uh… I wanted to ask you…” he began, rubbing the back oh his neck nervously, his face flushed. “If you’re not too busy…”

“Yes,” she cut him off, making him look at her, shocked.

“What? You didn’t even--”

“Did I stutter?” She teased, his face even redder. A blush of her own creeping up her face as she stepped closer to him, smiling gently. “I’m free tomorrow night?” She offered, standing on her tip-toes and gently kissing his cheek. Melody grinned, watching him turn an even brighter shade of red, his free hand coming up to touch the spot she kissed.

“See you then?” She murmured, Guzma nodding in response, a dopey grin spreading across his features. A few grunts who had been peeking in from the other room cheered.

“Shuddup!” Guzma growled at them, sending them scurrying, giggling to themselves.

He finally managed to tear his eyes off her, opening the door and guiding Melody out first, before looking back at her and smiling once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Judi belongs to [AriTheMerGal](http://archiveofourown.org/users/AriTheMerGal/pseuds/AriTheMerGal).
> 
> Please make sure to check out Ari's corresponding work, [Under Her Skin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13025088/chapters/29791170)!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guzma's got a hot date tonight, so Melody stays at the nursery.

“C’mon! You’re so lazy!” Melody tugged Guzma along by the hand, guiding him down the sidewalk to school. He didn’t get much sleep that night; the excitement of having an actual date the next day kept him tossing and turning. He trudged along behind her, struggling to keep his eyes open, making a mental note to get some coffee on the way back.

He almost didn’t register that his phone was ringing until Melody stopped and looked at him expectantly.

“Can I answer it?” she asked, making grabby hands at his phone as he lazily fished it out of his jacket pocket. He grumbled and handed it to her, not even looking at who was calling. Melody looked at the screen before answering. Someone named ‘Cuddle Bug’ was calling; curious, she tapped the screen to answer.

“Hello?”

“Melody, is that you?” She perked up when she recognized the voice on the other line.

“Hi, Judi!” She replied happily. Guzma perked up immediately and tried to take his prone back.

“Mel, gimme the phone,” he said quickly, trying to snatch it from her. She was too fast, however, and ducked under his arms and took off running.

“What are you two up to?” Judi laughed, hearing the commotion.

“Guzma’s taking me to school! He was too tired to answer the phone so he let me!” She dodged him again, walking backwards and giggling as he tried to grab the phone from her. “Oh, and I felt my egg moving this morning! Does that mean it’s gonna hatch?” Guzma lunged forward and scooped her up, Melody giggling furiously as he wrestled the phone from her hands before setting her back down.

“Judi? You still there?” He asked, breathing a sigh of relief when she laughed on the other line. Melody only half-listened as they talked, kicking small stones up the path and giggling as Wimpod chased after them.

“Hey, you wanna stay with Plumeria tonight?” Guzma asked. Melody perked up and nodded, jumping up and down with excitement.

“Wimpod! We’re gonna go to the nursery again!” she exclaimed to her little Pokemon, who chittered happily in response. She scooped him up in her arms and walked beside Guzma the rest of the way.

 

* * *

 

Once the bell had rung and released the students for the day, Melody headed outside and sat in a patch of grass as she waited for Guzma. She fished Wimpod’s ball out of her bag and released him, watching him scuttle about and stretch his legs, making happy little noises. She felt bad that he had to stay cooped up in his ball all day, but Pokemon weren’t allowed in the classroom.

A group of kids walked past her and she tensed, hearing their hushed whispers and giggles as they stopped nearby and kept glancing over to her. This particular trio of kids had been giving her a hard time ever since she had started going to school; making fun of her for being new, for not having a Pokemon at first, how she dressed, how she looked, any excuse they could come up with to tease her. Wimpod, seeing the discomfort on Melody’s face, clambered up her back and perched on her shoulder, purring gently.

“Hey, _Smellody_ ,” the girl in the group sneered, “what’s wrong? Did your mom forget about you again?” The two boys snickered. Melody took a deep breath to calm herself.

“I’m waiting for my friend,” she said calmly, petting Wimpod on the head.

“What, Guzma? You know he’s a bad guy, right?” one of the boys scoffed.

“Yeah, he’s probably just pretending to be your friend so he can steal your Pokemon,” the other chimed in. Melody’s face flushed red with anger.

“No way, even Guzma wouldn’t want a _broken_ Pokemon,” the girl added, as all three of them laughed and began walking away. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes but she quickly wiped them away. Wimpod chittered with concern and hopped into her lap, pushing his head under her hand; she gently pet him and scratched behind his antenna, his contented purrs distracting her from the ache in her heart.

“You’re not broken,” she whispered to Wimpod, smiling gently as she showered him in affection. The sound of familiar footsteps caught her attention; turning around she spotted Guzma walking towards her, smiling as she set Wimpod down and hurried over to him.

“Hey you,” he said, ruffling her hair as she hugged him. “Ready to go?” She nodded, taking his hand as they headed to their usual snacktime spot.

Melody was quiet most of the walk, which made Guzma suspicious. He watched her from the corner of his eye; she hugged her Wimpod tight and held his hand tighter, keeping her head down as they walked.

“Hey, somethin’ wrong?” he finally asked, snapping her out of her little trance. She looked up at him and shook her head, but he could tell she wasn’t being honest. He shrugged it off for now as they approached the shop, Guzma holding the door for her as they both stepped inside.

Melody hopped onto a stool at the counter and set Wimpod on the one next to her. Guzma came back over with two mugs and set one in front of Melody, taking the seat on the other side of her. He tore off a piece of one of the malasadas he bought and offered it to Wimpod, sliding Melody the other one. She sat with her head resting in her hand, picking at her malasada and not really eating, giving the pieces she picked off to Wimpod. Guzma’s hand on her forehead suddenly made her jump.

“You feelin’ okay? You ain’t gettin’ sick, are you?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

“No, I feel fine,” she mumbled, swatting his hand away.

“Okay, if you say so… And hey, don’t forget, you’re stayin’ with the grunts tonight,” he reminded her, watching her perk right back up.

“Can i take my egg with me?” she asked, a grin spreading across her face as he smiled and nodded. She turned back to her cocoa and took a sip, excitedly counting down the hours and minutes until they left.

 

* * *

 

Once they returned home, Melody rushed to her room to put together everything she wanted to take with her while Guzma showered. Wimpod clambered up on the bed and chirped excitedly, scuttling over to where the egg rested in the nest of blankets and pillows Melody had carefully tucked it into before school that morning. Melody pulled back the blankets a bit to reveal the egg, smiling and giving it a little kiss. The Pokemon inside seemed to like that, the egg suddenly rocking a little and startling them both. Melody grinned and wrapped it up again, keeping it warm while she got her things together.

Hearing the water turn off, she scrambled to finish packing and slung her bag over her shoulder, holding the egg carrier Judi gave her in her hands. She couldn’t possibly wear her backpack and the carrier at once, could she? Unless…

She slipped her backpack off and put the straps of the carrier on so that the egg pouch was in front of her, then carefully put her backpack on. Gently she scooped up the egg and placed in in the pouch with its blanket, looking in her mirror to admire her work with a grin.

Guzma stepped out of the bathroom, towel around his bare shoulders, wearing a pair of black jeans Melody had never seen him wear before. He headed into his room and dug through his clothes before settling on a black and gray tee, tossing it on the bed and drying his hair with the towel. Melody slipped her backpack and the egg carrier off, setting them on her bed carefully, before running into his room.

“Hey, I’m changin’ here,” he grumbled, pulling the shirt on over his head. Melody completely ignored him and made a beeline for the vanity, grabbing a brush and hopping onto the bed.

“Can I brush your hair?” she pleaded, holding out the brush and pouting. He rolled his eyes and sat down on the bed, allowing her access to his still damp hair. She quickly got to work, brushing out any tangles.

“Oh! You know what you need?” she said, Guzma turning to look at her with a raised brow. “Flowers! We should get Judi some flowers!” she exclaimed. Guzma chuckled and turned back around, letting her continue trying to tame his wild hair.

“Alright, let’s get some on the way,” he mused, “do you wanna pick ‘em out?”

“Yeah! Oh wait, let’s pick them ourselves! We can get some of the ones from the meadow! She likes those!” She tossed the brush to the side and hopped off the bed, grabbing his jacket and holding it out for him with a grin.

“I think I’ll pass on the jacket tonight,” He said, the look of shock on her face making him smile. “Why don’t you wear it?”

“Really?!” Melody beamed up at him when he nodded, taking off back to her room to gather her things and throwing his jacket on. It was ridiculously big on her, the usually short sleeves coming almost to her wrists, while the body of the jacket hung down past her knees. Zipping it all the way up she giggled at her reflection, seeing how tiny she looked in it. She gingerly put the egg carrier back on and dragged her backpack by the strap out to the kitchen. Guzma took one look at her and snorted, seeing how she was almost drowning in his jacket.

“That’s a good look on you, squirt,” he laughed, ruffling her hair and grabbing her bag for her as they headed out.

Melody and Wimpod hurried up ahead, straying off the path occasionally to pick any flowers that caught their eye. Melody held the growing bunch in her hands, Wimpod bringing a single flower at a time back to her in its mouth and chirping happily. Once they reached the meadow, Wimpod dove into the field of flowers, searching for the biggest blooms he could find. The sight of only his antennae being visible over the flowers as he scuttled around made her giggle as she picked some of her own. Once the bouquet was big enough, she removed the band holding her braid together and used it to secure the flowers, shaking out her braid and letting her long hair down. Melody rushed back to Guzma, holding the flowers out, beaming up at him as he smiled and looked them over.

“She’s gonna love ‘em, nice job,” he said as she puffed her chest out with pride. Wimpod scuttled back over, carrying a single flower that was almost too big for him. He placed it at Melody’s feet and looked up at her expectantly, his tail flicking in excitement.

“Oh, for me?” She picked up the flower and sniffed it, flashing her Pokemon a smile as he awaited her approval of his little gift. She tucked it carefully behind her ear and scooped him up, placing a kiss on his face.

“I love it, thanks little guy!” she beamed, Wimpod chirping in delight and wagging his tail. Guzma watched on, chuckling at the sweet sight before him; it was almost enough to make his teeth hurt.

“C’mon, let’s go,” he guided her and Wimpod back down the path, holding the bundle of flowers tightly in one hand and Melody’s hand in the other.

Once they were on board the ferry to Akala Island, Melody took a seat and let Wimpod crawl up into her lap, resting one hand on his back and the other on the egg in its carrier. The shell felt warm to the touch and she could feel slight movement from inside again, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the slight rocking of the ferry or not.

“What kinda Pokemon do you think will hatch from the egg?” she murmured to Wimpod, who looked up at her and made a series of clicking sounds. “Are you gonna be a good big brother to it?” she questioned; Wimpod purred and nuzzled into the egg carrier in response.

The trip to the island was calm and quiet, the breeze from the ocean feeling nice on her face as she clung to the railing and watched for the first sign of land. A few Wingull flew alongside the boat, squawking at Wimpod and spooking him enough to scuttle up Melody’s back and wiggle his way into the hood of Guzma’s jacket for safety.

 

* * *

 

“You gotta hold all the doors open for her, too! Oh, and hold her hand all the time, and remember to tell her she’s pretty! That’s the most important part,” Melody reminded him as they walked up the dirt road towards the nursery. She had spent the entire ferry ride giving him “tips” on how to woo Judi that she had picked up from watching TV. He scoffed and smiled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

“I’ll try to remember all that,” he replied as they approached the house, hearing commotion on the other side of the door as he knocked. The door swung open finally and Plumeria smiled at them.

“You’re early for once,” she teased, Guzma rolling his eyes and leading Melody inside. Kneeling down, Plumeria hugged Melody and smiled as several grunts filtered into the room and began fawning over Guzma, who was clearly enjoying it; he cleaned up nice and he knew it, basking in the attention and letting them stroke his ego. Out of the corner of her eye, Melody saw Judi at the bottom of the staircase and rushed over to her, giving her a big hug.

“How’s the little guy doing?” Judi asked, pulling away and feeling the egg in the carrier.

“Good! I told you it was moving this morning!” Melody beamed as Judi smiled back at her. Reaching up she took Judi’s face in her hands and inspected her for a moment. “You look so pretty!” She said, Judi smiling and hugging her again.

“You’re too sweet, I could just eat you up!” she said as she playfully scooped Melody up and sat with her in her lap, earning a flurry of giggles from the girl.

“Nooo, help me! She’s gonna eat me! Guzma! Help!” Melody struggled in vain against the onslaught of kisses to her cheeks. Guzma turned and froze when he saw Judi, his cheeks flushing pink.

“You’re just gonna _stand_ there and watch me _die_?!” she cried out dramatically, making them both laugh. Guzma grabbed Melody and hefted her up out of Judi’s arms.

“You can’t eat Mel, she’ll give ya a stomach ache; she’s way too sweet,” he said with a smile, setting her down and passing the flowers to her while he helped Judi to her feet.

“Guz got you flowers!” She held out the bouquet to Judi, who took them gingerly from her, blushing as she smelled them. She murmured a ‘thank you’ to Guzma before kissing his cheek, making him blush as well.

“Ew, gross!” Melody teased, sticking out her tongue at the display and making both adults smile.

“Oh yeah? We’re gross?” Judi smirked and bent over, grabbing Melody and giving her a big kiss on the cheek, making exaggerated kissing sounds. A flurry of giggles erupted from Melody, trying half-heartedly to push her away. Judi stood and left to go put the flowers in some water, Melody wiping her cheek off and smiling. Once she returned, Guzma took her hand and they headed for the door.

“Bye Melody, see you soon! Make sure everyone stays out of trouble!” Melody waved as they closed the door, the grunts heading back to their assigned tasks. Ian sulked in the corner a bit longer before rummaging through the fridge for a drink.

“Can I help today?” Melody asked Plumeria, who turned to her and smiled.

“Wanna help Ian out at the front desk for a few?” she gestured over in his direction, Ian poking his head over the fridge door.

“Huh?”

“You heard me,” Plumeria said, “you always take too long closing up anyway. Take her with you.” Melody grinned at Ian, who sighed dramatically.

“I don’t get paid to babysit, Plume!” he grumbled, popping the top of his soda. She simply folded her arms and stared him down for a few seconds before he relented.

“Fine, whatever. You’re with me, lil Boss.” Ian headed out the door, Melody trailing closely behind him.

Once inside the office, Ian ducked into the closet and pulled out a broom and a spray bottle.

“We only got an hour till close, so we gotta clean up. Why don’tcha do the sweepin’ and I’ll do the wipin’?” he handed her the broom and turned to the desk, squatting underneath and looking for a rag. Melody nodded and got straight to work, although the weight of the broom made it difficult to sweep; it nearly toppled a few times before she got the hang of it. The bell above the door chimed and a woman walked in, her Pokemon following close behind her.

“Hello!” Melody beamed up at her. She smiled softly back and knelt beside her.

“Hi there, do you work here?” she asked, her Pokemon gathering around them.

“No, I’m helping my friend Ian!” Melody held up her broom as best she could, making the woman smile again. Ian poked his head over the counter at the noise.

“Hey, what’s--” Ian’s breath caught in his throat as he straightened up and stared at the woman, eyes, wide, his cheeks glowing bright red.

“C-can I uh, h-help you, uh, miss?” he finally managed as the woman approached the counter.

“Hi, I’m sorry, I know it’s late, but I was hoping to board my Pokemon for a few days...” she smiled sweetly at Ian, brushing her hair out of her face. He swallowed hard.

“Uh, yeah! That’s uh, n-no problem! Just uh, lemme... grab the paperwork…” he rushed into the back room, leaving Melody and the woman to stare after him in confusion.

“Is he… alright?” she asked as Melody climbed up into the chair behind the desk. She simply shrugged. The woman scooped up one of her Pokemon in her arms while the other two peeked over the desk. Melody recognized one of them right away.

“Ooh, you have a Butterfree?” she gasped, the Pokemon fluttering over the counter to greet her. “Bug types are my favorite!” She grabbed Wimpod’s Pokeball from her pocket and released him onto the counter. “Look, I have one too! And I’m taking care of my own egg!” she gushed, proudly displaying the egg carrier. Wimpod perked up at the woman, crawling closer and chirping while she fawned over him and patted his head. She opened her mouth as if to say something but was interrupted by Ian flying back around the corner with the paperwork, looking even more frazzled than before.

“Aight, just need ya to fill this out,” he slid her the paper and a pen before shooing Melody out of his chair. She hopped down and picked Wimpod up off the counter as she looked on.

“Just, uh, fill out this part here… sign here… and here… okay, perfect!” he took the paper back from her with a goofy grin that showed off his braces. She suppressed a giggle and smiled at him, recalling her Pokemon and handing the balls over.

“It was Ian, right?” she said softly, Ian nodding rapidly in response. “I’m Leilani,” she said, extending her hand shyly; Ian hesitated before taking it. He was sure she could feel how disgustingly sweaty his palm was.

“And what’s your name?” she turned to Melody, squatting to be at her eye level.

“I’m Melody!” she thrust her hand out to Leilani, mimicking the handshake she gave Ian; she shook it with a laugh.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” she said, standing and brushing her dress off, turning back to Ian once more. “Thank you again, Ian,” Leilani smiled at him as she headed for the door.

“Yeah, no… uh, no problem!” he blurted out as the door clicked shut behind her. As soon as she was out of sight, he sank back into the chair and let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. After taking a minute to recover, he looked up and saw Melody grinning at him.

“What’s with the face?”

“You like her~” she sing-songed, Ian’s face turning red once again.

“What?! No! It’s not like that!” he stammered, Melody giggling as he came around the other side of the desk, keys in hand. “C’mon, ya turd, it’s past closing. Let’s get outta here.”

Once they were back home, Ian tossed Plumeria the keys and kicked his shoes off at the door.

“Hey, how’d it go?” Plumeria turned to Melody after hanging the keys up with the others on the wall.

“It was fun! There was a really pretty girl and Ian wa--” a sudden hand clamped over her mouth, muffling the flurry of giggles erupting from her.

“Nothing! Ian did _nothing_!” he hissed. Plumeria stared at him, one eyebrow raised. He finally let go and rushed into the other room with the others, who were deciding on a movie.

“It’s movie night tonight, wanna go help pick one out?” Plumeria suggested; Melody nodded excitedly and rushed in after Ian. The group all argued for a while over what genre to watch and whose turn it was to pick; the only thing they seemed to agree on was that they had to keep it age appropriate for their little guest. They ultimately let Melody decide after they narrowed it down to a few choices.

“Okay, now we need the blankets! Hey lil’ Boss, you can have the big blanket off my bed!” Ian called to her. Nodding, Melody ran upstairs to find it. She peeked in each of the bedrooms, looking for Ian’s until she found it near the end of the hall. She side-stepped the piles of clothes on the floor and tugged the blanket off the bed, knocking a pillow off with it.

When she bent over to pick it up, something shiny under the bed caught her eye; dropping to her knees, Melody fished the object out from underneath the bed and examined it. It was a heavy silver pendant, shaped like a skull, or maybe an ‘S’, on a thick silver chain. She turned the pendant over in her hands, little fingers tracing the grooves in the cool metal.

“Hey, didja find the--” Ian froze in the doorway, staring wide-eyed at the chain in her hands.

“What’s this?” Melody held the pendant up to him. He quickly crossed the room and took it from her, staring down at it in shock.

“Where'd you get this?”’

“It was under your bed,” she hesitated, looking up at him.

“Oh man, I’ve been lookin’ everywhere for this!” Ian grinned and put it on. “It’s my Team Skull bling!” Melody tilted her head to one side as she looked up at him, brows knitted in confusion.

“Team Skull?”

“Yeah, we were the baddest gang around! Nobody wanted to mess with us, especially Guzma! Man, he was scary when he was mad!” Melody’s eyes grew wide.

“Guzma?”

“Yeah, he was our big bad boss! Everybody knew better than to mess with him and his Golisopod,” Ian said proudly. “We took over a whole town, made it our own little base and everythin’! Guzma even had his own throne!”

Melody stared up at him, brows furrowed with concern, which quickly turned to anger.

“You’re lying! Guzma’s not scary! I’m telling!” She turned and ran back downstairs, Ian squawking and running after her, before skidding to a halt in front of Plumeria in the kitchen.

“Ian’s being mean!” she blurted out, pointing in Ian’s direction.

“What’d he do?” Plumeria asked as Ian barged in behind her, slightly out of breath.

“He said that Guzma was really mean and scary! That’s not true, right?” Melody cried, looking increasingly more upset. Plumeria was about to reply when she caught sight of the chain around Ian’s neck; she shot him an angry look before returning her attention to Melody.

“Well… do _you_ think he’s mean and scary?” she asked. Melody vigorously shook her head no. “Then there’s your answer. Go wash up, it's almost dinner time.” Plumeria turned her attention back to the stove as the two raced each other to the bathroom.

After everyone was done eating and cleaning up the kitchen, the group all settled into the mass of blankets and pillows for the movie. Wimpod crawled up into Melody’s lap as she pulled Ian’s blanket around herself, stroking his back just the way she knew he liked as the movie started. It hadn’t been on for long before she began to feel sleepy. It was, after all, way past her normal bedtime. She leaned heavily against Ian, struggling to keep her eyes open. He put an arm around her and ruffled her hair with a smile before returning his attention to the movie. She was just about to doze off when Plumeria noticed her.

“Gettin’ sleepy?” she whispered, Melody nodding in response. “C’mon, why don'tcha get to bed? You can sleep in my room.” She offered her a hand, helping her down off the couch and cradling the egg in her other hand. She led her up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom, setting the egg down for a moment and helping her into bed.

“Here,” she said quietly, tucking the egg into a little blanket next to the pillows. She pulled the covers up over Melody and watched as she got comfortable, Wimpod curling up by her head.

“Guz and Judi should be back in a few hours, get some rest,” Plumeria murmured.

“Good night, kid,” Plumeria whispered, switching off the light and closing the door quietly. It wasn’t long before Melody drifted off.

 

_Crack._

 

Melody’s eyes shot open, staring at the egg nestled in the blanket next next to her. Wimpod scuttled up to the egg and gave it a sniff, looking back to Melody in confusion. The egg suddenly lurched, followed by another cracking noise; a visible crack could now be seen runing halfway down the egg. Her eyes lit up and she quickly grabbed the egg and hopped down from the bed, running down the stairs.

“PLUMERIA!” she yelled, flying around the corner into the living room. Everyone turned to look at her as she panted, standing in front of Plumeria.

“Hey, what are you doing up?” The egg was suddenly thrust in her face, Melody looking up at her with concern.

“It’s hatching!” she cried out, the grunts all perking up at once and scrambling over to them. The egg jumped a bit in her hands again and everyone began excitedly chattering and trying to get closer to watch. Plumeria sat her down on the couch and placed a hand on the egg; it was incredibly warm and she could feel the Pokemon moving inside.

“You’re right, it is. Stay here,” she said before getting up and going to get a few things. The grunts crowded around Melody, all trying to get a peek at the egg. Quiet chirps could be heard from inside as another crack formed along the shell, and the grunts collectively gasped in excitement as they watched on. Plumeria brought over a towel and laid it in Melody’s lap.

“Okay, sit the egg right here, and if any pieces look like they’re ready to come off, you can help it out by picking them off. But don’t force it, it’ll come out when it’s ready,” she gave her a patient smile and went back into the other room. The grunts all loudly and excitedly chatted amongst themselves, waiting to see what kind of Pokemon would hatch from such a tiny egg.

But it seemed the more excited everyone got, the less the egg moved. Soon it wasn’t moving at all; the noises from inside had stopped and there hadn’t been a new crack in the egg in a few minutes. Melody grew worried, gently tapping on the egg with her finger and listening closely for any response.

“Is somethin’ wrong with it?” Ian thought aloud, staring at the egg intently. Melody looked up at him and felt panic begin to build in her chest. What if there was something wrong? The grunts around her grew anxious.

“I’m sure it’s fine...right?” another grunt offered. They began to quietly chatter nervously amongst themselves. Melody held the egg up to her ear, listening for any sign that the Pokemon inside was alright; but it was silent. She lowered the egg into her lap and felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

Had she done something wrong?

“Yo, you ok lil’ Boss?” Ian nudged her shoulder, snapping her out of it. She looked up at him and the tears started to fall.

“Whoa, whoa! Don’t cry! Please don’t cry!” Ian visibly began panicking as she stifled a sob. Some of the other grunts froze and looked at each other, at a loss for what to do. She tried to wipe her tears away, but they just kept coming; she hugged the egg tighter to herself as her sobs increased in volume. Ian scrambled to his feet and rushed into the other room, looking for Plumeria.

The front door opened briefly and voices could be heard in the other room; several of the grunts rushed to greet whoever was there, their voices panicked as they all tried to talk at once. Melody recognized Guzma’s voice and quickly tried to wipe her face off.

“Mel? You okay?” He made a beeline for her, wading through the crowd of teens, Judi following right behind him with a worried expression. He knelt down beside her and wiped a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb.

“Hey, I’m here, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice soft. Melody only began to cry again.

“Th-the egg started to h-hatch but now it’s not m-moving anymore!” she cried. Guzma and Judi looked at each other for a moment before he stood and scooped Melody up, sitting back down on the couch with her in his lap and rubbing her back.

“It’s okay, you didn’t do anything wrong. Let’s go upstairs, maybe the Pokemon’s scared of all the noise,” Judi offered, standing and taking the egg from her before leading the way up to her bedroom. Guzma stood and followed, Melody still in his arms.

Once they were inside her room, she closed the door behind them and locked it. Turning around she saw Guzma sat on the edge of the bed with Melody, still sniffling and hiccuping occasionally. Judi gently placed the egg on the bed, laying on her stomach and patting the space beside her. Melody crawled over to her and laid down too.

“I think a little peace and quiet will help,” she said with a smile. Melody began to feel better now that Judi was here, scooting closer to her and watching the egg intently. Guzma flopped down beside them both, resting his head on his forearms and glancing at Judi from the corner of his eye. After a few moments of silence, the egg began to move slightly again. Melody perked right back up, watching with bated breath. Muffled chirping sounds could be heard from within, and the egg began to crack again. An excited smile spread across her face as they all watched and waited.

A piece of shell finally broke off, then another, until chittering and scratching could be heard from inside. Judi reached forward and tilted the egg a bit so it could climb out.

Guzma and Melody both gasped in delight at the sight of the Pokemon.

It was tiny, maybe about the length of Melody’s hand, and incredibly fuzzy, covered in bright yellow fur.

“A Joltik!” Guzma said excitedly as Judi smirked and raised a brow. “What? It’s a bug type, of _course_ I know what it’s called.”

Melody held out a hand to the little Pokemon, letting it crawl over to her and inspect her fingers.

“I always wanted one when I was a kid,” he mused, smiling as the little Pokemon crawled into Melody’s outstretched hand. “It’s a bug and electric type, they like to hang out in your hair and suck up all the static,” he added, reaching out to pet the little Pokemon with his finger.

“Here Melody, you’ll need this,” Judi passed her a shiny red Pokeball from her bag. Mel turned it over in her hands for a moment before smiling and inching closer to the Joltik.

“Hey little friend,” she said softly, trying not to frighten the little creature. “I know you just hatched and all, but I was wondering if you’d like me to be your trainer?” She held the ball up to the Joltik for it to inspect. It examined it for a moment before chirping happily and crawling on top of it. Melody grinned and pressed the button, white light engulfing the Pokemon before it closed again. She held her breath as the ball rocked a few times in her hands before finally clicking.

“Wimpod, look, it’s your new friend!” Melody hopped off the bed and sat in front of him, releasing Joltik again. The smaller Pokemon blinked and looked around before turning to see Wimpod eyeing him up curiously. The two Pokemon inched closer and closer together until Wimpod chirped excitedly and nuzzled Joltik, his tail wagging behind him. Joltik reciprocated the affection, purring in delight at his new friend.

“Aww, you like each other already?” Melody watched them interact with a big grin. The smaller Pokemon climbed up onto Wimpod’s back as he ran in excited little circles. Seeing them get along so well already made her heart swell. After a few minutes, though, exhaustion began to creep up on her again. She got to her feet and yawned, tugging on Judi’s sleeve.

“Tired, Bug?” Judi whispered. Melody nodded, rubbing her eyes and yawning again. Judi reached under her bed and pulled out a spare blanket, arranging it into a little nest for her Pokemon. They both scurried in and settled down together. Melody knelt down and gave them both a kiss goodnight before climbing up onto the bed. Guzma shifted and laid on his back, motioning for her to come join him. Melody climbed right up on top of him, getting comfortable as Judi pulled a blanket over the three of them. Judi and Guzma muttered their ‘goodnight’s to each other as Melody drifted off almost immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Judi and Ian belong to AriTheMerGal. Read her corresponding fic, Under Her Skin, [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13025088/chapters/29791170)!


End file.
